Words for Orlando
As a writer, you spend a lot of time sitting at a computer thinking of words; stringing along one-after-another with great thought. I've spent a lot of time crafting worlds of make-believe and stories that take me from the real world because everyday the real world becomes a scarier place in a way I couldn't make up in a book. I find that I'm not often without words, but every now and again something happens where I just struggle for the words.
Words are greater than weapons. Words inspire hope and faith. Weapons can end your life, but your words will live on forever. Here are some words, some names, that I'm adding to the world so they can live on forever:
Edward Sotomayor Jr.
Stanley Almodovar III
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo
Juan Ramon Guerrero
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz
Luis S. Vielma
Kimberly Morris
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice
Darryl Roman Burt II
Deonka Deidra Drayton
Alejandro Barrios Martinez
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez
Amanda Alvear
Martin Benitez Torres
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon
Mercedez Marisol Flores
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez
Oscar A Aracena-Montero
Enrique L. Rios, Jr
Miguel Angel Honorato,
Javier Jorge-Reyes
Joel Rayon Paniagua
Jason Benjamin Josaphat
Cory James Connell
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez
Luis Daniel Conde
Shane Evan Tomlinson
Juan Chevez-Martinez
Jerald Arthur Wright
Leroy Valentin Fernandez
Tevin Eugene Crosby
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool
Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan
Christopher Andrew Leinonen
Angel L. Candelario-Padro
Frank Hernandez
Paul Terrell Henry
Antonio Davon Brown
I didn't know these people, I couldn't be further away from them in the United States if I tried. But I grieve for their families because I know what loss feels like. I hope you read this list and see these names and realize that each one of these people had families and friends and loved ones that are now left to clean up the pieces of their lives because someone carried a lot of hate in their heart for a population of people he assumed he knew. They had futures that were ripped from them. They made contributions to society, and likely had many more to make that we will never see.
The moral of this story isn't going to be prayer vigils and politicians standing on soap-boxes about gun control. The moral of this story is that there's a people problem in this world. Yes, guns create a mode of opportunity. But what we need to address is the hate that caused this situation. I have never hated anyone so much that I would want to cause harm to them. Can you imagine how heavy that burden must feel? To hate so much you would not only take their lives, but to ruin your own, as well? Because even if that fool had survived, he'd be executed by the state. How does someone even get that way? Nature or nurture, biology or psychology? We could spend hours debating it. But I know one thing for certain-- someone or something spurred on that man's hatred and he acted on it, and his actions changed a lot of lives forever.
I wish what he would've realized before that moment is that it's not "us" versus "them". But who can blame him for not when you turn on a television and it's all you see? Some idiot politician with bad hair blaming certain groups of people for all our problems in this country. But I wish someone would've told him, would've helped him realize that it's not Republicans versus Democrats, it's not Homosexuals versus Heterosexuals, Muslims versus Christians, It's not Black versus White. We're all humans; we are all flawed, stuck on the same planet and trying to make the best of this thing we call life, and downplaying anyone else's existence or rights isn't going to make yours any easier. Flip the script, how would you feel if someone denied you basic human rights?
You know what makes life easier? Kindest. Compassion. Empathy. Honesty.
What doesn't make life easier? Hate. Anger. Violence. Your violence against one person, one group of people spurs on more and more until an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and empty.
We've got one planet, one shot at this and so far we're blowing it. With a record 176 mass shootings so far in 2016. So hear these words: It is much easier to love someone, to try to embrace their differences than it is to hate them for something they cannot change. Imagine one of these people being your mother or father, sister or brother, aunt or uncle-- simply carrying out their daily lives and being gunned down for a political reason-- and then tell me that it's not a problem. People shouldn't have to be afraid to go to a movie, to a club, to a restaurant. You shouldn't have to be afraid to be yourself, because I'm sure you are wonderful just the way you are.
So I'm asking this for these people I've never met. So what I'm going to do, aside from working on being a word warrior, is spend the next couple of days being as kind as I can to people I come in contact with. I'm going to make compassion the movement. Maybe it won't make a difference. But maybe for one person it will mean the world. Maybe it'll change their lives, stop them from something like this. Maybe in some way it'll affect change. Let's look outside ourselves to other people and ask "how can we be an agent of change?"
I'll get back to my book. But I feel like words are my agent of change, my gift and I would be remiss if I didn't use them for stuff like this every now and again.
